Car-truck.



PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904.

E. A. CURTIS.

CAR TRUCK.

APPLIOATION HLED Fmm, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

.N .ARN

PATENTED NOV. l5, 1904.

E. A. CURTIS.

GAR TRUCK.

PPLIOATION FILED PEB. a, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

Y asume-SHEET 2.

110.775.207. PATBNTED 1107.15, 1904.

1.. A. CURTIS. GAR TRUCK.

APPLIOATION FILED H1B. a, 1904. No 11017111.. a sHzzsTs-s'nnm 3.

UNITED STATES Patented November 15, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

EDMUND A. CURTIS, OF DEOATUR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FELIX B. TAIT, OFDECATUR, ILLINOIS.

CAR-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,207, dated November15, 1904.

Application filed February 3, 1904. Serial No. 191,817. (No model.)

T0 all whom it Wmy concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND A. CURTIS, a resident of Decatur, in thecounty of Macon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Oar-Trucks, of which the following' is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in car-trucks of that class mostcommonly employed in connection with street-cars.

The salient object of the present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction in the joints or connections between the ends of thetransom and the side members of the truckframe, whereby increasedstrength and rigidity are secured, and at the same time to produce aconstruction which is simple and economical to manufacture.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, and will be readilyunderstood from the following description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation ofa truck-frame embodying' the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of thetruck. Fig's. 8 and 4 are detail views of the interiitting members.Fig'. 5 is a view in side elevation of one side of a truck-frame,showinga moditicatiomand Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6 6 ofFig'. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing-s, 1 designates the wheel-pieces, 2 theequalizer -bars, and 3 the pedestals, which members together constitutethe side frame of a truck, the two side frames being' connected by meansof the end frame-bars f1 and 5 and also by means of a transom-frame,(designated as a whole 6.)

The present invention resides in the peculiar construction of theconnections between the ends of the transom-frames and the sides of thetruck-frame or, more specifically', the wheel-pieces 1.

7 and 8 respectively designate the two main transom frame members havingthe form of plate bars, arranged with their planes parallel andconstructed to tit between the wheel-pieces 1. Each transom-bar, as bestseen in Figs. 1 and 3, is so disposed between the wheel-pieces that itsupper edge rises above the corresponding' edges of the wheelpieces, andat each end it is provided with an extension 9, the under side of whichforms a shoulder 10, adapted to overlie and rest upon the correspondingedge of the wheel-piece. In order to more accurately position andreliably hold the transom-bar in exact relation to the wheel-piece, thetransom-bar is also provided in its upper edge with notches 11, adaptedto receive the shoulders 1() of the transom-bars. In order to secure theparts together, angle members or braces 12, 12, and 13 are provided,constructed and arranged as follows: The braces 12 are severallyconstructed to tit within the exterior angles formed at the junction ofthe respective transom-bars with the wheel-pieces, the two arms 14 and15 of each brace member being made of a width to reach from the upperedge of the transom bar downwardly to approximately the lower edge ofthe wheel-piece, as best indicated in dotted lines in Fig'. 1. The uppercorners of the arms 14, which rest against the inner faces of thewheelpieces, are chamfered ofi', as indicated at 16, so as to produce amore finished appearance, and the braces are securely bolted to therespective portions of the transom bars and wheelpieces, as indicated at17 and 18. The members 13 are of three-sided construction and' to securethe arms 15 of the outer braces, extend through and secure the parallelarms 13l and 13 of the members 13, while other bolts 20 are insertedthrough the central portion of said member and the adjacent wheel-piece.

By means of the construction described the transom members are unitedwith absolute rigidity to the wheel-pieces and the weight upon thetransom is transmitted to the side frames of the truck directly insteadof through the medium of bolts-that is to say, in the presentconstruction portions of the transom-bars overlie and rest directly uponthe wheel-pieces, whereas in prior constructions it has been common toarrange the transom-bars entirely between the wheel -pieces and securethese parts together by means of cast angle-pieces and bolts. In thepresent construction, in which the transom-bars rise above the upperedges of the wheel-pieces, the upper portions oi' the transom-bars areheld absolutely against tilting movement by extending the braces up tothe full height of the transom-bars. The

l fact that the wheel-pieces are slightly notched outat their upperedges to receive the transom-bars does not substantially weaken saidwheel-pieces, because they are so securely reinforced at these points bymeans of the braces and because the edges of the transom accurately iitand occupy these notches. In order to still further strengthen thestructure, however, and transmit the weight upon the wheel-piecesdirectly to the equalizer-bars 2, I have shown in Figs. 5 and 6 amodification in which struts 2l are provided, these struts being locatedapproximately underneath the respective transom-bars. In theconstruction shown each strut consists of a casting, of which the mainbody 22 is constructed to fit in vertical alinement with and between thewheel-pieces and equalizer-bars. At their upper ends said struts areprovided with platelike extensions or ears 23, which fit against theouter sides of the wheel-pieces and are bolted to the latter, asindicated at 24. At their lower ends the said struts are provided withreduced tenon-like extensions 25, which iit between the duplicate bars2' and 2'/ of the equalizer-bars and are bolted or riveted to thelatter, as indicated at 27.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention, yet

the details thereof may be somewhat modified without departing from theinvention.

I claim as my inventionn 1. In a truck-frame, the combination with theupper side frame members or wheel-pieces, ot' a pair of transom-barsfitting between said wheel-pieces and provided at their ends withextensions overlying the upper edges of the wheel-pieces, notches in theupper edges oi' said wheel-pieces within which the extensions of thetransom-bars fit, and angle-braces uniting said transom-bars andwheel-pieces, substantially as described.

2. In a truck-frame, the combination with the upper side frame membersor wheel-pieces, of a pair of transom-bars fitting between saidwheel-pieces and provided at their ends with extensions overlying theupper edges of the wheel-pieces, notches in the upper edges of saidwheel-pieces within which the extensions of the transom-bars iit, andangle-braces uniting said transom-bars and wheel-pieces, saidangle-braces being made of a width approximately equal to the distancebetween the upper edges of the transom-bars and the lower edges of thewheel-pieces, and being rigidly bolted to the respective parts,substantially as described.

3. In a truck-frame, the combination with the upper side frame membersor wheel-pieces, of transom-bars spaced apart and fitting be# tween saidwheel-pieces and each provided at each end with an extension overlyingand resting directly upon the upper edge of the correspondingwheel-piece, an independentlyformed angle-brace fitting in each exteriorangle formed between the wheel-pieces and transom-bars and rising to theheight of the upper edges of the transom-bars, and independently-formedthree-sided angle-braces fitting between the ends ofthe transom-bars andagainst the respective wheel-pieces, substantially as described.

EDMUND A. CURTIS. Vitnesses:

FREDERICK C. GOODWIN, ALBERT H. GRAVES.

